Is Toyota taking a step backwards? I think so.

If a Tacoma got 100 mpg, you might be the only one driving a Prius!:rockon:

 

I would still be driving a Prius , if the technology was available to get 100 MPG in a Tacoma a Prius would be getting 195 MPG on the same technology.

Pick up trucks aren't my bag no matter what they might offer.

Somehow I think you missed the topic listed in the title line of this thread.

Toyota is not taking a step backwards IMO!

 

I wasn't aware that the Tacoma was as reliable as the Prius, or has as good a re-sale as the Prius? Not just about mileage.

 

I have to say I would never have bought a Prius if it wasn't for the new redesign. I just bought a 2009 Cadillac Escalade ESV when I got a new Job that was 65 miles away from my house and I needed a car that got good gas milage without giving up the options that the Escalade had. I knew that I was going to get a smaller car but I found that the Prius was just right and offered more room than any other car in its class, not to mention the fuel economy. It is a great car for people with a family that also drive alot. I looked at a 2009 Prius and I thought it looked dated inside and out.

 

That's one of the reasons I went for the 2010. The second-generation is smaller on the inside (and I'm a big guy), and the controls look rather...1990s. As for the LCD screen being missing, well, it's no big deal for me. When I was younger, several people I knew from church had Ford Aerostars with the digital dash option, which I thought was incredibly cool at the time. Those were all blue VFDs like the 2010, so it's a pleasant blast from the past for me.

 

I had one of those Ford Aerostars until sometime this summer. I finally sold it and bought a small trailer for the Prius. The technology on that 1994 Aerostar was pretty impressive for the time. So was the reliability. It may have been luck, but we had zero problems with that van. The electronic 4wd was nice with our winters.

Tom

 

Oh yeah. The late 1980s/early 1990s Ranger platform was pretty much bulletproof as long as you kept it maintained. I've driven both a 1986 and a 1990 Bronco II in the past and they were both good trucks.

 

I didnt miss anything. These threads digress so much most posters dont know Who's on first anyway.

 

OJ?

 

If Toyota is taking a step backwards, then what are GM, Chrylser, and Ford doing?

 

Going out of Business!!! Oh wait, our tax dollars stopped that.

 

Ford is kicking nice person, never took a dime and is going to kick Toyota's nice person, they already have a better system and consider the customer much more, so far from what I've seen, Toyota hasn't shown much caring or desire to improve, just move things around and call it done.

Here is an example of how Ford is going forward, where Toyota has gone backward:
Ford goes open source, gets students to develop phone apps for Sync — Autoblog

 

Sorry, I'm just not seeing where "Toyota hasn't shown much caring or desire to improve". The Gen III was like, 90% new design? Vast improvements over some of the Gen II characteristics. No?

 

YIKES! That's your example about how Ford is going forward and "going to kick Toyota's nice person". Developing sync apps? Really? LMAO. How 'bout this for improvements...how 'bout Ford make a hybrid car that gets better than 50 mpg? That's pretty much the #1 reason why most car buysers want a hybrid - ie, much better gas mileage than other vehicles. Who cares about the sync apps?

While I will grant you that for the time being, companies like Ford (ie those companies on the brink of financial collapse) are working harder to regain their market share in the US, and therefore, have to be more customer friendly...it remains to be seen that Ford will make a better, more relaible product than Toyota. All the marketing blitz won't do crap to their longterm customer loyalty if they don't make a better product....and I think the jury is still out on that issue.

The bottom line is this - I think most Americans would like to buy American (again), but ONLY IF, American car manufacturers make a significantly better product than the proven products coming from Toyota, Honda, etc. It's not enough just for Ford to match Toyota/Honda, but they have to beat them in cost, features and reliability before most Americans will return to buying American (again). Good luck to Ford.

 

Ford has made the wise choice - "if you can't beat them, join them." Their best selling car, the Fusion Hybrid, uses the Toyota HSD system technology.

So in that respect, Toyota has taken a step backwards... why would you let a competitor license your technology and use it against you?

 

Because Toyota has something better coming soon.

 

What he said. ^^^

 

$$$

Clearly there are many differences between the Fusion and the Prius. Toyota has been in the hybrid game for more than a decade...do you really think they fear competion from Ford in this arena?

 

They have something better now.

 

If you own an older Prius...and replace it with a new Prius. That is the very definition of an upgrade. It makes no statement as to the worth of the Prius as a vehicle. But a new one vs an old one...definately an upgrade.

Um, I have a 2004 Prius. So I'm highbrow and a jerk because I recognize the new vehicle is better than my vehicle? How does that make sense?